Melissa Benoist lands lead in Supergirl TV series

CBS’ forthcoming Supergirl series has finally found its leading lady in the shape of Glee actress, Melissa Benoist. Not yet a household name, Benoist will soon be soaring - ahem - to new heights thanks to bagging the much-coveted role.

The show comes from the creative force behind The CW’s previous superhero successes - The Flash and Arrow - Greg Berlanti. The tale of Superman’s cousin Kara will be the producer’s third DC-related comic book series for the sister networks.

Benoist - who can currently be seen as Miles Teller’s love interest in the Oscar-nominated Whiplash - will lead the property into a new, rebooted direction. In a report from Variety, a synopsis for the upcoming show outlines what we can expect from the caped lass:

“The eponymous series centers on Superman’s cousin, Kara Zor-El, who escaped from Krypton amid the planet’s destruction years ago. Since arriving on Earth, she’s been hiding the powers she shares with her famous relative. But now at age 24, she decides to embrace her superhuman abilities and be the hero she was always meant to be.”

Still in the early development stages, Supergirl joins a new wave of female-centric comic book TV series. The first major female-led small screen adaptation surfaced last month with Marvel’s Agent Carter, with iZombie and Marvel’s Jessica Jones also in the pipeline.